Skip the Dinner Reservations and Dine in With These Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas

We won’t lie — we love a fancy dinner on Valentine’s Day. But with crowded restaurants and pricy prix fixe menus, it can sometimes be more stressful than it’s worth. Instead, put that money and effort into planning a homemade dinner. Luckily, we’ve got a ton of Valentine’s Day dinner ideas for you, ranging from simple dinners for two to projects like handmade pasta or pizza. You can even get your partner (or crush) in on the action. What’s more romantic than dusting flour off someone’s shirt?

While some of these Valentine's Day recipes are a little more challenging, most of these meals are easy enough for any home cook to tackle. Plus, we’ve got plenty of recipes to choose from depending on your vibe. Leaning more towards heavy, comforting foods? Think creamy, cheesy pasta dishes. Feeling more veg-centric? We’ve got hearty, satisfying plant-based dishes and vegan recipes, from a vegan lasagna to a wild mushroom ragu over polenta. Whichever dish you go for, you get major points for putting in the effort.

Wanna go all in on the at-home experience? Make it a three-course dinner with some easy appetizers, and maybe even a Valentine's Day dessert. Now the only challenge is getting your dinner date to go home.